Shell making



w. c. CORYELL 2392928 SHELL MAKING Filed'June 15, 1940 Afig. 1 1; 1942.

I 7 Shets-Sh et 1 ATTORNE Aug. 11, 1942. w. CORYELL SHELL MAKING Filed June 15, 1940 7 Sheets- S ba u 3 FI /Z.

ATTORNEY Aug. 11-, I942. w. c. co'RYELL SHELL MAKING 1 Filed June 15, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Augz ll, 1942- UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE- SHELL MAKING William O. Coryell, Youngstown, Ohio Application June 15, 1940, Serial No. 340,754

4 Claims. (01. 29-121) The present invention relates to shell makin a and particularly the making of ordnance shell.

It is well known that in the firing of a gun loaded with a shell and an explosive charge, the explosion of the charge produces a stress within the shell which is highest at the base of the shell and gradually less toward the ogive of the shell, as the latter is being expelled from the gun. In consequence of this action it is desirable to have the base of the shell structure particularly strong.

To put it another way, the inertia of the shell is what is to be overcome in discharging the shell from the gun. That inertia is greatest at the base of the shell. As one proceeds from point to point along the shell toward the ogive, the inertia to be overcome gradually decreases. Thus, at any given point along the shell the inertia is that resulting from the portion of the shell between that point and the ogive.

' becomes less and less as one proceeds toward the ogive.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel method by which the base of the shell will be strengthened. This is accomplished preferably by a reduction in the diameter of the shell blank accompanied with a twisting of the material, especially near the base.

Another object is to provide a method by which such shell shall-be produced without losing any of the advantages and values possessed by shell as made heretofore.

Another object is to provide a method by which the shell may be made with equipment which will require but slight modification of present equipment.

Another object isto.provide a novel method which will permit the manufacture of shell economically both in respect to labor and material.

Other objects and advtantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying draw- Obviously, this ings, while the scope of the invention will be.

particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to said drawings, Fig. l is a longitudinal section of a bell-shaped metal blank upon which the steps of the novel method are performed to bring about the finished product, all in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a similar section of the shell structure after the steps of the method have been performed upon the blank. Fig. 3 is a a side elevation of the finished shell upon which is a spiral line indicating the twist which is given to the metal of the shell during the process of manufacture. Fig; 4 is a perspective view on a somewhat smaller scale of the blank of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the finished shell. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the cross rolls which are employed in carrying out the new method. Fig. '7 is an end view of these rolls with the shell blank in position between them. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the cross rolls also illustrating the shell blank in position between them, the latter, however, being shown in section. Figs. 9 and 10 are horizontal sectional views of the blank at intermediate stages of reduction. the same being shown in each instance with a portion of the cross rolls to indicate the extent of travel of the blank between the rolls. Fig. 11 is an elevation of a cross roll mounted in its roll housing. Fig. 12 is avertical sectional view illustrating a cross' roll in association with its housing and the main housing of the mill, the plane of section being indicated by the line l21i2 of Fig. 14. Fig. 13 is a similar view illustrating certain of the parts in elevation, the plane of section being indicated by the line i3-i3 of Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is an elevation of the completev cross roll mill which is preferably employed in performing certain steps of the novel method. Fig. 15 is an end elevation of the same mill. Fig. 16 is a top elevation of the same mill. Fig. 17 is a vertical section through a portion of the mill showing particularly the guides for the blank, the plane of section being indicated by the line fl'iil of Fig. 14. Fig. 18 is a partial end elevation of the guide structure shown in Fig. 17. Fig. 19 is a plan view of the cross roll mill in association with suitable drives and a heating furnace. Fig. 20 is a horizontal'section through a portion of the mill illustrating adjusting mechanism, the plane of section being indicated by the line 2fi2'0 of Fig. 14. This method contemplates the rolling and twisting of the shell blank either with or without the use of a mandrel. Fig. 21 is a longitudinal section of a blank A and a mandrel in position for rolling. Fig. 22 is a longitudinal section of the blank after being rolled and twisted and before being removed from the mandrel. Fig. 23 shows a longitudinal section of the blank after the base has been partially closed in and upset. Lastly, Fig. 24 shows a the finished product, all as herein disclosed.

The equipment for accomplishing these steps of the novel method is illustrated generally in Fig. 19. As shown there, the blank A after being heated in the furnace B is passed over the guides to the cross roll mill C and emerges from the latter in its final form as the shellblank D. Suitable drives E and F are provided for the cross rolls of the mill.

It should be noted that the blank A may be made in any desired way. It is composed of steel suitable for the manufacture of shell and is preferably bell-mouthed and more or less conical in shape as illustrated.

Obviously, in the production of the blank the extent of opening at the base of the blank may be varied and the length and shape in other respects may be modified, but in general it has the outline of the blank illustrated in Figs. 1 and 21. These are all matters of design dependent upon the tions found thereon should be'remo'ved and the blank otherwise cleaned up so that it will pass readily into and through the mill. In some instances it, might be even desirable to cut away a portion of the material to remove these undesirable projections,and tootherwise properly prepare the surfaces.

As indicated, the conical blank A when properly reduced and twisted according to the present invention will result in the shell-blank D. But it will be noted that the shell blank D is still a blank inasmuch as the same will be subjected to further machining inside and outside. In passing from condition of the blank A to thecondition of the blank D, the metal near the base is reduced as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 by the imaginary rings, a, b and c of the blank A, becoming the imaginary rings a 12 and c of blank D. These imaginary rings in both instances are employed in these figures to illustrate approximately how the metal flows in passing from one form to another. These sets of imaginary rings show equal volumes of material. Thus, the material in ring, a, has the same volume as the ring, a ring, D, has the same volume as in ring, b And, again, the volume in ring, 0, is the same as in ring, 0 These imaginary rings thus show approximately the degree of reduction and the distribution of material without taking into account the twist.

When it comes to the twisting which the material receives,.there is a diiferent travel and that material which is at one point is transferred, especially at the base, vectorially. This angular shifting of the material is indicated by the spiral line 2| shown on the outside of the shell blank D in Fig. 3. As will appear more fully'hereinafter when considering the cross rolls, which are Likewise, the material in A is to be worked by reduction and twisting so as to be brought into the shape and condition of the blank D, it is worked hot. To give the necessary heat, it is placed in a suitable furnace such as the furnace B (Fig. 19) and when hot it is subjected to the reducing and twisting operations.

It should also be noted that the blank A of Fig. 1 has a boss or projection 24 on its outer surface. This provides an extra thickness of material at the base of the shell. This excess of materialis provided in order to furnish that material which .will be necessary to the forming of the interior projection 25 upon the shell blank D.

It may also be noted that, as the change in the form is made from the blank A to the blank D, there is a slight stretching of the material, so that the blank D is a little longer than the blank A, all of which will be pointed out more fully hereinafter.

While speaking of the shell blank D, it may be well to note that the same comprises a base portion, a body portion, and an ogive portion.

The former is at the open end of the shell and is sufilcient in extent to include the segmental rings, a and b while the latter is at the closed conical end of the shell and extends generally,

from about the point 22 to the sharp end, 23,

V of the blank.

cross roll mills may be used to this end. However, the sameherein illustrated will serve the purpose and accordingly may be described as a generic representation of suitable equipment for giving the required reduction and twist.

In the embodiment illustrated there are two cross rolls R and R As shown particularly in Fig. 6 their axes are slightly out of parallelism. In other words, they are shifted vertically relative to each other to provide the cross roll action. As shown in Fig. 6 the amount of angularity is exaggerated somewhat to make the drawing clearer in this respect, but in practice it would preferably employed to provide this lateral shift- I receives more twist than the preceding units of the blank. This process continues until the last portion of the blank as it passes through the mill I has received the greatest amount of twisting and reduction.

It may be noted also that when the shell blank be in the neighborhood of a few degrees. 0bviously, the extent of cross variation may be varied according to the requirements of any given case, the smaller the angularity, the slower the travel of the work through the mill, consequent1y,"the less the work done per revolution of the rolls.

The rolls R and R are. spaced apart a distance such as to properly'receive the blank A between them, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 8, where the blank A remains unchanged because it is at the beginning of its entry into the mill pass. As soon as it advances, it will begin to change its shape. The travel of the shell A forward through the pass results from the rotation of the rolls It and R". Each of the latter is provided with an entering conical surface 21, a cylindrical band surface 28 and an outgoing conical surface 29. Each roll is provided with suitable necks 30 and 3|. By reason of the conical surface 21 of the rolls, engaging the outer surface of the blank A and by reason of the fur- 2,292,928 ther fact that the axes of the rolls are tilted,

the one above the horizontal plane that passes through the axis of the blank being rolled, and the other below that plane, there is produced a combined reduction, twisting and forward movement of the blank. It should be noted that the blank is entered into the pass with the oglve end first. As the blank travels forward through the pass, its conical wall is pressed inwardly toward .its longitudinal axis and this operation con- It should be noted that the rolls R and R f rotatein the same direction. This causes the blank to rotate oppositely as it travels through the pass. In other words, the conical surface '21 has a larger diameter at a point adjacent to the throat of the pass than it has at its entering ends This means that the surface speed of the roll is greater at the throat than at the entering point, but inasmuch as the diameter of the blank is smaller at the throat than at the open end, it follows that the tendency is to rotate the shell faster at the point of the shell than at the base. Disregarding possible surface slippage between the rolls and blank, there results thus an actual twisting of the material composing the body of the blank. This is what is indicated by the line 2! in Fig. 3. As before stated, the degree of twisting may be varied.

It will be noted that as the blank passes through the mill between rolls R and R it receives no reduction after it passes the conical surface 21. As the shell advances increment by increment, the successive increments are reduced and twisted more and more.

The cylindrical portions 28 of the rolls R and R perform the function of smoothing the surface of the blank. The surface 29 also Der-forms no work upon the blank, but completes the roll in each instance and provides a better positioning of the bearings for the rolls.

Considering now the mountings for the rolls R and R each roll has its own housing, thus roll R has its housing 35, and roll R has its housing 35. Each roll has bearings 31? and 333. These bearings fit into rectanauiar openings in the end portions of the housings and are held in each. instance by a key 39 or other suitable means. As clearly shown, housings 35 and 35 are oppositely positioned and their open sides ar toward the space between theroils R and R. In other words, they are open toward the pass of the mill.

The roll housings 35 and 36 are mounted within the main housing of the mill. The latter in= cludes a base 42 having end uprights 43 and 44. A cap 55 has downward projections 56 which engage the upper ends of the uprights l3 and 44, respectively. Two series of bolts, 4? and 48, provided. with suitable nuts serve to secure the cap 45 to the base portion of the housing. The upper P rtion of the cap 45 is provided with a re-enforcing rib 49, which serves to strengthen the cap and thus enable it to meet the strains placed upon it. The lower base member 42 of the housing is provided with a central pedestal 50', having lateral wings 5|. The upper surface of this pedestal serves as a support for one of the guide members 52 located between the rolls R and R and is devised to lit the guide 52 and serves to hold it against downward movement as the blank is drawn through the pass of the mill. Cooperating with the lower guide member 52, is an upper guide member 53. The latter is similar in construction tothe member 52 but reversed so as to engagethe upper portion of this shell-blank and prevent its undue upward movement when being carried through the pass of the mill. The upper guide member 53 is secured to wings 54 located at the lower end of a pedestal 55 which extends downwardly from the housing cap 45. i

By reference to Fig. 17, it will be seen that the pedestals 50 and 55 are offset at the inner ends of the guide members 52 and 53, as indicated at 55 and 51. The offset portion 56 provides a face against which the inner' end of the guide 52 may abut and be held by suitable T- headed bolts 58. The bolts 58 pass through the pedestal portion 56 and on through openings in a projection 59 located at the forward end of the guide member 52. The T-heads lie forward of the projection 59 and the rear ends of the bolts 58 are provided with suitable nuts. The

vertical portion of the pedestal 50 lies beyond the offset portion 55 with respect to the guides 52 and 53, and is cut away as indicated at 50. This is done for the purpose of providing space for the movement of a pivoted table or plate 6|, which is in line with the guide 52 and serves to receive the shell ,blank as it passes out of the mill. This guide 6| may be moved by any suitable mechanism into the full line receiving position and alternately into the dotted line delivering position. v

The upper pedestal 55, beyondthe offset portion 51, is provided with a lug 62. Through this lug a plurality of bolts 63 are passed. These bolts then extend on through suitable openings in projections 64 and 55 extending upward from.v the guide member 53. The T-heads of the bolts 63 lie forward of 'the projection 65 and the rear ends of the same are threaded for the reception of retaining nuts. By screwing up the nuts at the threaded ends of the bolts 58 and 63, the guide members 52 and 53 may be firmly seated and held in place in their guidingposition between the rolls R and R In the mill which is disclosed, provision is 7 These convex bearingfaces fit against concave bearing faces 10 and 1], formed respective y upon the underside of the cap member 45 and ily'moved toward and from each other by a sliding movement lengthwise of the cylinders.

This to and fro movement of the housings 35 and 38 is brought about by independent adjusting mechanisms. These mechanisms include two sets of adjusting screws and connections. That arrangement at the left hand .side of the mill, as the parts are viewed in Fig. 14, is clearly shown in Fig. 20. Here a horizontal section discloses the three screws of the set. At the right end of Fig. 14, the vertical arrangement is shown in connection with the other set of adjusting screws. Since the various parts are the same in both sets of mechanisms, it will suflice to describe one set fully and to use the same designating characters upon both sets.

As clearly shown in Fig. 20, there is a central adjusting screw 11 and two outer adjusting screws 18. The screw 11 is provided with a T- head, the screw is passed through a suitable opening in the roll housing 35 and on through a larger opening 19 in the vertical housing 43, leaving the head engaging the inner face of the roll housing. A bridge piece 88 spans the opening 18 and has a hole through it for the reception of the outer end of the threaded adjusting screw 11. A wheel 8| carrying a nut 82, serves to draw upon the screw 11 or release it, all in accordance with the direction of rotation of the wheel. Similarly, the outer screws 18 are provided with hand wheels 83. These hand wheels, however, are secured to the outer ends of the screws 18 so as to rotate them. The threaded portions of the screws 18 cooperate with sleeves 84, mounted in suitable openings in the housing member 43. These sleeves 84 are threaded interiorly and their threads cooperate with the threads on the screws 18.

When it is desired to shift the housing 35, it is necessary to operate the hand wheels 8| and 83. If the movement of the roll housing 35 is to be toward the main housing member 43, then the hand wheels 83 are operated to draw the screws 18 back from engagement with the housing 35. Following this, the hand wheel 8| is operated to draw the housing 35 toward the member 43. When the desired position is obtained, then the screws 18 are screwed down so as to again press firmly against the housing 35. Obviously, when the reverse movement is required, the central screw 11 is first released and then the other screws 18 are screwed down to force the housing 35 outwardly away from the housing member 43.

Obviously by loosening up the cap 45 from the lower main housing members, the pressure upon the cylindrical bearings 8818 and 88-.-1|, previously mentioned, will be reduced. It is, therefore, desirable to loosen up the nuts of bolts 41 and 48 when making adjustments. After the adjustment has been completed, then the nuts can be screwed home again. This will place the apparatus in condition for operation.

Coming now to a consideration of the vertical adjustments of the rolls R and R, I have provided mechanisms for rotating the roll housings vertically. In such case the concave and convex cooperating bearing surfaces 8810 and 89--1| on the housings, slide over each other, not in the direction of the axis of the cylinders, but in a rotative direction at right angles thereto. In this case, as before, it is desirable to loosen up the cap nuts and thus relieve the pressure which exists at these concave and convex bearing surfaces. The mechanisms for bringing about the vertical adjustment of the two roll housings are the same, except that the positions of the screwoperating hand wheels are reversed. Because of this simplicity, it will suffice to explain the parts which cooperate the adjustment of one of the roll housings and refer to the reversed arrangement only as becomes necessary. The same reference characters may be applied to both sets of adjusting devices.

If we direct our attention to the vertical adjustment of the roll housing 35, shown at the left of the Fig. 14, then we see that there is an upper adjusting screw 88, and a lower adjusting screw 81. As clearly shown in Figure 12, the upper adjusting screw is provided with a lower threaded portion, the threads of which engage with the inner thread of a sleeve 88, which is suitably mounted in an opening of the cap housing member 45. The lower end of the screw 88 is provided with a breaker 89 which bears upon a portion of the roll housing 35, near one end of this housing. The upper portion of the screw 88' is squared and a hand wheel 98 is mounted thereon so as to rotate with the screw. A bracket 9|, secured to the member 45, provides a bearing for the screw 88 above the hub of the wheel 98. Obviously, when the hand wheel 9|! is rotated it will cause the screw 88 to move up or down by reason of the threaded action between the screw and the sleeve or nut member 88. Of course, this up or down movement can occur only when there is nothing to interfere, that is to say the opposing screws must be properly positioned.

At the bottom of the housing 35, at a point directly below the screw 88, is a shoe 92 which has a horizontal upper face and inclined lower faces, as clearly shown in Fig. 14. The horizontal upper face permits the housing to be moved laterally as before pointed out and it might be mentioned at this point that such lateral movement must be brought about when the screw 88 is in elevated or non-pressing position. Cooperating with the inclined or wedge faces of the shoe 82 are blocks 93, which are provided with laterally extending threaded openings into which or through which extends the screw 81. This screw is provided with opposing threads, that is to say, one-half of the threaded portion is provided with right hand threads and the other half of the threaded portion is provided with left hand threads. The blocks 93, therefore, move together when the screw 81 is rotated in one direction and they move apart when the screw is rotated in the opposite direction. The screw 81 is provided with ,two bearings 94 and 85 which are firmly secured to the base member 42 of the housing. The outer end of the screw 81 passes through the housing member 43 and has a hand wheel 98 secured to its outer end in position to be easily rotated by an attendant. Obviously, when the blocks 93 are moved together they will act upon the shoe 92 to raise the latter and when they are moved apart they will allow the shoe to descend and with it carry the housing 35.

Upon inspection of Fig. 14, it will be seen that the blocks 93 at the left are apart and the blocks 93 at the right are close together. It will also be noted that the screw 88 at the left is in its lowermost position. while the screw 88 at the right is in its uppermost position. When the parts are in these positions, then the axis of the two rolls R and R lie in the same horizontal plane. This arrangement is such that the left hand roll R is adjusted upwardly from that -plane and the right hand roll I1. is adjusted downwardly from that plane. Obviously, these rolls might be otherwise adjusted and with the mechanisms modified slightly, the planes to which they be brought when in their limiting positions might be other than the horizontal plane mentioned.

It will be noted also that the screw 81 at the right extends through an opening in the upper right housing member 44 and is provided with a hand wheel 96. In this respect there is a reversal of the parts over that shown for the parts at the left.

It is clear that many suitable arrangements might be made for feeding blanks A into the pass of the mill C. However, I have shown in the present instance (Fig. 19) guides or skids 99 over which the shell blanks may be passed into the pass in the mill. Any suitable way may be employed for pressing the blank forward into the pass. In addition to the skids 09., I have also shown other skids or guides I and IM which lead from the furnace B to the skids 99. The arrows indicate the direction of travel of the blanks. Of course, theseblanks are only forwarded after being properly heated in the furnace B. Such heating will ordinarily be that which is required by rolling practice. From the outlet of the mill, the shell will pass down over the pivoted shelf 6|, as before pointed out, and

will pass therefrom onto other skids I02. From these, the finished shell blanks D may be con-- veyed to a place of cooling and then machined or otherwise put in shape for loading as before pointed out.

The mill rolls may be driven in any desired way. In the present instance, however, the roll R. is driven through the medium of a spindle I03 and suitable universal couplings I04 and I05. Power is derived from a suitable source applied to the shaft I06 of the reducing gear mechanism I01. This constitutes the drive mechanism, E,

previously referred to. Similarly the roll R is driven through the agency of a spindle I08, couplings I09 and II 0 and the reducing gear mechanism III, power being applied to the shaft II2. This latter constitutes the drive mechanism F, previously referred to.

Obviously, in carrying out the present information, quite different equipment might be employed than thatshown and described, but what is disclosed is at least typical. The cross rolls are of importance since they serve toperform the necessary functions by simple and efiective mechanism, although, of course, other reducing and twisting means might be employed if desired.

I claim:

1. The process of making ordnance shell, which process includes heating a bell-shaped blank to working temperature and thereafter while hot simultaneously reducing and twisting the same, the reducing being performed to lessen the diameter of the blank and the twisting varying in extent from a maximum near the shell base to a minimum toward the ogive.

2. The process of making ordnance shell out of a conical blank of predetermined design, which process includes heating the conical. blank to a temperature suited for rolling, and then simultaneously rolling and twisting the blank while hot, the rolling and twisting reducing the diameter of the blank and progressively shifting the material from a minimum twist at the ogive of the shell to a maximum at its base.

3. The process of making ordnance shell out of a conical blank of predetermined design, which process includes heating the conical blank to a temperature suitable for rolling, then while hot, progressively reducing the same in diameter and simultaneously with said progressive reduction, twisting the blank to give the ogive of the blank a vectorially greater rotation than the base, thereby forming a cylindrical shell wherein the base 'of the shell has received a greater amount of hot working both compressively and rotatively at the base of the shell than at the ogive.

4. In the making of ordnance shell, the process steps of heating a hollow conical blank to working temperature and by a rolling operation reducing the external diameter of the blank, and

simultaneously therewith twisting the same while hot so as to maintain a zero twist at the ogive and to give a maximum twist atthe base equal to at least one circumference vectorially considered.

WILLIAM c. CORYELL.

I v ammonia 01 common on. Patent No. 2,292,928. Augustll, 19!;2.

wILLIAn c comm.

It is hereby certified that error'apoem ii: the prihted apeoificatioh of the above numbered'patenp reqiiii'ing correction as follovisz' Page 2, second oolfimn, line 11.2, for same? food -'one-- page 1+; first column, line 75, for the word Y'aimpli'oity' read. -'-sim:I. 1 ar1ty--; ahd that the said Le'ttera Patent should be read filth this correction therein that the same may oonfom. to the record of the case the Patent Offief Signed and sealed this 20th day or October, 'A. D. 19ly2.

Henry Van Aradale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

